Satellite Subsystem Automated Design

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Satellite Subsystem Automated Design

• Chahé Adourian
• chahe.adourian_at_space.gc.ca
• Software and Ground Segment Group
• Canadian Space Agency

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Outline

• Introduction to automated design
• Genetic algorithms
• Applications
• Summary
• Recommendations

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Automated Design - Intro

• What it is not
• An end-to-end design automation
• Applicable when we can't simulate or evaluate
  the design performance automatically

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Automated Design - Intro

• What it is
• A method to automate exploration of
• Design alternatives and
• Design parameters
• A method to generate novel designs
• A growing field

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Automated Design Intro (cont'd)

• When can we do Automated design?
• Does it work?

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Genetic Algorithms - intro

• Derived from Darwin's evolution principle
• Individuals start with a wide range of features
• Features randomly selected
• Fitness of individuals evaluated using Sizing
  function
• Unfit Individuals eliminated
• Features of surviving individuals semi-randomly
  mixed to generate offspring (breeding)
• Process repeated
• Population fitness keeps increasing

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Genetic Algorithms - Advantages

• Applicable to complex systems
• Allows exploring many alternatives
• Drops uninteresting alternatives
• Avoids local minima
• Capable of creative thinking
• Robust
• Scales well

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Applications

• A few applications of GA
• Helicopter Conceptual Design
• Hybrid Rocket Booster Design
• Turbine Engine Design
• Antenna Design

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Applications Helicopter Conceptual Design

• Goal design the MLR helicopter
• Problem select its basic features
• Solutions produced by design team and GA
• Helicopter sizing function used to estimate
  performance (fitness)

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Applications Helicopter Conceptual Design
(Cont'd)

• Results

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Applications Hybrid Rocket Booster Design

• Goal design a rocket in the titan 34d-class
• Problem determine main design variables
• Solutions use GA to optimize for
• Minimum inert weight
• Minimum gross lift-off weight
• Used HYROCS rocket sizing function

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Applications Turbine Engine Design
Holland 92
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Applications Antenna Design

• Goal design antenna for ground-to-satellite
  communications
• Problem determine shape of wire antenna
• Design choices
• Wire-antenna
• Single feed point at the base

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Applications Antenna Design (Cont'd)

• Results
• Cheap, robust antenna
• 29 usable bandwidth
• Excellent performance

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Satellite Application

• Conceptual and low-level design automation
• Design automation for all subsystems
• Require Sizing functions for all subsystems
• Create library of S/C components
• Develop automated design tools
• Develop simulation technology for S/C subsystems
• Require Standardized Simulation interfaces

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Summary

• Genetic Algorithms handle high-level low-level
  automated design
• Proven for complex designs
• Extend to S/C design

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Recommendations

• Produce sizing functions for all S/C subsystems
• Once available, implement design automation with
  GA or other techniques
• Consolidate industry effort